Culture shock rating

Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.

Low

Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.

Medium

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.

High

You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.

Low

Physicality

Physical rating

Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.

Low

Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.

Medium

Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

High

Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.

Low

TOUR SNAPSHOT

“”

Loved the tours of the Gold Museam, the Jade Museum and quick run through of the National Theatre of Costa Rica. Jurgen secured an assessable van for me to use and pushed my wheelchair so that my husband could take pictures and concentrate on learning and his interests at the museums. I cannot thank Jurgen sufficiently for such a wonderful time and his genuine concern for my well-being and his intention for us to enjoy the day!

Mrs. Kelli W., USA - 30 May 2016

This was the most amazing and challenging day of the three days we spent with Urban Adventures of Costa Rica. It was amazing because of the experiences we chose to participate in, and it was challenging because of the storm that came upon us as we walked and rolled to get to the volcano crater in Poas National Park. Once again, our guide Jurgen was helpful and knowledgeable about the history of Poas National Park/Volcano Crater. Additionally, he pushed my wheelchair along the path to reach the volcano. We also toured Doka Coffee Farm and really enjoyed learning about how coffee is farmed and produced. Jurgen pushed my wheelchair here also, and it was not raining. We had a wonderful lunch together and returned to our hotel. Marco provided excellent and safe transportation. My husband and I really felt like we made two new friends in Costa Rica when we met Jurgen and Marco!

Mrs. Kelli W., USA - 30 May 2016

Tour snapshot

Love the look of our San Jose tours, but feel like customising them to make exactly the tour you're looking for? Well, you're in the right place. Put our team of local experts to work to build the perfect itinerary just for you. You can include some of the components of our regular tours, or none at all. This is your tour — so make it your own! If you're not sure, we've got plenty of ideas for what you might want to include. If you let our team of expert locals know your interests, they will come up with all kinds of things!

Please note: our Create Your Own tours in Costa Rica are also available in Portuguese and German

Highlights

Discover archaeological sites such as Guayabo, an ancient city that was mysteriously abandoned over 600 years ago

Take in San Jose art and culture at the city’s museums

Indulge on a street food tour showcasing San Jose’s best veggie dishes, or on a caffeine-fuelled coffee tasting tour

Make explosive (maybe even literally!) visits to active volcanoes Poás or Irazú and Turrialba

Get a local perspective with a guided walk around towns such as the artisan community of Sarchi

Learn about that delicious Costa Rican coffee on a tour of a coffee plantation

Get up close and personal with nature on a canoe trip in the tropical lowlands

Take a nature- or urban-inspired photo tour, ideal for budding photographers looking to perfect their skills

Inclusions: We will work with you to include whatever you need in accordance with your wishes and budget.

Exclusions: You'll discuss what will be included in your tour with your local guide. Exclusions will simply be anything outside of the inclusions you've agreed upon.

Schedule details

Duration: To Be Advised

Pickup location:

Pick-up can be arranged from your hotel, or even from the airport if you wish.

Pickup time: Various

Drop off location:

Drop-off can be arranged at your hotel, or even at the airport if you wish.

FULL ITINERARY

Your itinerary will be worked out between yourself and our local experts in San Jose. They are extremely knowledgeable and highly resourceful — trust us! Your tour doesn't need to be a walking tour, we have access to vehicles and buses if needs be, so the world is your oyster (or at least San Jose and the surrounding area is, in this case!). Whatever you are looking to do that is within our Responsible Travel charter, we can organise it for you.

We offer a wide range of options for your Custom San Jose tour, including:

a visit to a coffee field where you can taste different kinds of Costa Rica’s famed coffee

a national park experience complete with monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles (oh my!)

a trip to a butterfly garden and nearby waterfalls

a visit to towns, local markets, and cultural sites such as la Basilica de los Angeles

an educational experience that tours San Jose’s many museums

The above can be combined into various tours — we can make recommendations as to which combinations offer the best value for your interests.

Pricing for full-day tours ranges from USD 95 to 220 per person, for tours of 6 to 10 hours. Shorter tours of 2 to 3 hours start at USD 45 per person.

Tour costs will vary based on tour options, and can be priced to include transportation, entrance fees, and lunch.

All you need to do to get your bespoke private tour organised is to choose your desired tour date. Use the booking function on this page for this request, and choose the number of passengers in your group. In the additional request box, include any information you think will be helpful in organizing your tour. No payment is required to make initial Custom San Jose tour inquiry.

As soon as we receive your inquiry (during normal office hours or at the next earliest point), we will contact you by email or, for those who leave a Costa Rica phone number, we will give you a call and begin the process to organize your perfect stay in San Jose. Then, to secure your desired date and time of the tour, we'll ask for a non-refundable deposit.

Once your itinerary and quote is all confirmed, we will deduct the deposit from the final quote. We can arrange all final payments and terms during the planning stages of your private San Jose tour.

Additional information

Inclusions: We will work with you to include whatever you need in accordance with your wishes and budget.

Exclusions: You'll discuss what will be included in your tour with your local guide. Exclusions will simply be anything outside of the inclusions you've agreed upon.

Confirmation of booking: We recommend you contact the local supplier to confirm your trip 24 hours prior to departure. Contact details are on this voucher.

Additional Information: To secure your desired date and time of tour, we’ll need a non-refundable deposit. Note that the deposit amount will vary depending on the options you select for your private tour. We will discuss this with you once you’ve made your initial inquiry. This deposit will then be deducted from your tour once you come to pay for it in total.

Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour, depending on the activities chosen. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at a rate to be determined once your tour itinerary is confirmed. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour (with the exception of the bike tour) free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.

Local contact

Traveller rating

Excellent

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Average

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Poor

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Rating summary

Overall experience

Guide

Local learning

Responsible travel

Met expectations

Mrs. Kelli W. from USA travelled on 30 May 2016

Loved the tours of the Gold Museam, the Jade Museum and quick run through of the National Theatre of Costa Rica. Jurgen secured an assessable van for me to use and pushed my wheelchair so that my husband could take pictures and concentrate on learning and his interests at the museums. I cannot thank Jurgen sufficiently for such a wonderful time and his genuine concern for my well-being and his intention for us to enjoy the day!

Mrs. Kelli W. from USA travelled on 30 May 2016

This was the most amazing and challenging day of the three days we spent with Urban Adventures of Costa Rica. It was amazing because of the experiences we chose to participate in, and it was challenging because of the storm that came upon us as we walked and rolled to get to the volcano crater in Poas National Park. Once again, our guide Jurgen was helpful and knowledgeable about the history of Poas National Park/Volcano Crater. Additionally, he pushed my wheelchair along the path to reach the volcano. We also toured Doka Coffee Farm and really enjoyed learning about how coffee is farmed and produced. Jurgen pushed my wheelchair here also, and it was not raining. We had a wonderful lunch together and returned to our hotel. Marco provided excellent and safe transportation. My husband and I really felt like we made two new friends in Costa Rica when we met Jurgen and Marco!